AJF:Newsletter[quarterly]"Africa NOW" No.80

Africa Japan Forum (AJF) works with African People for African People's better life.

Africa NOW No.80

Issued on March 31, 2008 by Africa Japan Forum (AJF)

Special Topic: Tokyo International Conference on African Development

TICAD4 will be held in Yokohama on May 28-30; where leaders of African countries will be present at the conference as well as the G8 Summit planned in Toyako in July is set up as part of the principal diplomacy by the Japanese government. How do NGOs respond to it? The TICAD IV/NGO Network formed last year is active in discussing with the Foreign Ministry and holding symposiums. On the other hand, there are some critical opinions on the way or process of TICAD through reviewing how NGOs took a stance on TICAD or NGO's participation in it. This issue features articles reviewing TICAD in general.

p.3-6 TICAD4: Japan's African policy is questioned, written by SAITO Ryoichiro
How do NGOs and the civil society respond to TICAD4? SAITO Ryoichiro, Executive Director of AJF, talks about each of the agenda to be discussed at TICAD4: (a) Boosting Economic Growth, (b) Ensuring Human Security including achieving MDGs and consolidation of peace, and (c) Addressing environment/climate change issues.

p.7-8 African NGOs' voices about TICAD process
Commentator: Rotemi Sankore (Africa Public Health Rights Alliance - 15% Now Campaign), Tommy Garnett(Environmental Foundation for Africa), Lawrence S. Flint (Enda-TM: Environnement et Developpement du Tiers Monde), Ssuuna Joseph (PELUM Association: Participatory Ecological Land-Use Management)
Four persons of African NGOs give a comment on TICAD. The editor of "Africa NOW" posed a question "What do you think about TICAD process?" to Rotemi Sankore, Tommy Garnett and Lawrence S. Flint, and a question "What do you think about "Green revolution" promoted by the Japanese government and any international organizations?" to Ssuuna Joseph.

p.9 Biofuel boom is accelerating food crisis in Africa, written by AJF Food Security Study
AJF Food Security Study gives a comment on African food issues brought about by a global biofuel boom, showing "African Food Security", a pamphlet edited by AJF Food Security Study.

p.10-15 Independent watchdog of diplomacy toward Africa, written by TAKABAYASHI Toshiyuki
How should Japanese NGOs and the civil society in Japan respond to TICAD4? TAKABAYASHI Toshiyuki at the Research Center for Western Sahara Affair emphasizes through critical review of the former process of TICAD and African policy taken by the Japanese government that Independent Watchdog of diplomacy toward Africa is needed, not through "involvement in committee politics.

p.16-23 Interview with OZEKI Yoko: Evaluation of the AJF's activities on TICAD1-3
OZEKI Yoko, former Executive Director of AJF, was interviewed about how AJF participated in TICAD1 in 1993, TICAD2 in 1998, and TICAD3 in 2003 and what AJF demanded there, and how she evaluates TICAD itself and AJF's activities toward TICAD now.

p.24-25 On the spot in Africa: Ethiopia, written by KONDO Tetsuko The essay was written by KONDO Tetsuko, staff of the AJF Secretariat, who joined a NGO-JICA training in Ethiopia. She reports two projects she went on a visit to during the training: FRG project for supporting farmers promoted by JICA together with Ethiopian agricultural institutions and a project for supporting education and life of Karayu, a pastoral ethnic minority in Ethiopia organized by Gudina Tumsa Foundation (GTF), a local NGO.

p.26-27 Meet Africa in Japan: African shop "AFRIKICO"
Series of articles on places where we can feel and enjoy Africa in Japan. This issue introduces an African shop "AFRIKICO" in Yokohama.

4th cover To readers ("Hitotsu no musubime toshite" in Japanese) and daily report
Information from the secretariat of AJF to readers.

Index

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